Panel construction



Feb. 17, 1931. v w, s. PRITCHARD 1,792,705

PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed May 2 1927 Patented Feb. 17, 1931` N gUNITED #sT"A" Ali :l sl PATENT 'oF-FICE,

WILLIAM sj rRITonAR-n, OR'JJETRO'IT, MIoHIGAN,'AssIGNOR TO- MOTOR PRODUCTS CORPORATION, OR DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATIONor.` NEW YORK PANEL CONSTRUCTION This invention relates to a panel construction and'more especiallyto ap'anel for use in connection with motor vehicle doors,walls and the like constructed to receive and'support a sash or windowregulating device.

It is customary, in "door-and wall constructions of motor vehicles, tolocate and support the sashregulating device in the well formed between the inner and Outer panels or walls ofthe" door or wall. 5 Notwithstanding the Vfact that most all window regulating devices at present are sodesigned as to reduce the same to the smallest possible `diznneters nevery p thelessit has heretofore been impossible to materially reduce the thicknessfof the door or wall owing to` the spacerequired to contain and mount these Vwindow regulators.\ Furthermore it is now the practice to manufacture and sell the window regulatorssepa rately fromthe door or wall ,panels thus necessitating the expenditure Of time neces- 'sary4 to mount the window regulator during the assembly ofthe vehicle. e ,H 1

It istherefore one ofthe primary Vobjects of this invention to provide a panel suitable for use'inmotorvehicle doors and walls and to assemble therewith the window regulator. The invention contemplatesa'panel construction including a recessor depression formed therein, a'portion `of which-is designed to receive the operating mechanism of the sash regulating devicey whereupon the v adjacent wall of the panel constitutes a portion of the housing for this operating mechanism, Athe remaining portion `being formedby aplate or, cover member secured to the panelover the recess. The-invention al-so contemplates the utilization of other depressions or a por'- tion of the main depression in the panel for the purpose of guiding the sashengaging ele# ment. With such a construction the thickness of the door or wall may he materially reduced Owing principally to the fact that the usual housing for the Operating mechanism is eliminated as well as the guides for the travelling sash engaging member together with the supports for these guides.

Another advantage of this construction is that the window regulator and sash may, by

the provisions of this invention, be manufac- 1927. seriai'N. 188,222,

ture'd, sold and installed in a door or wall construction, as a unit.

'Y The inventionjhas also among its objects to i simplify', render more efficient and improve generally devices ,fof this character and the several objects and advantages will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered inV connection with thel acoompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure l is fan elevational view ofthe in'- side of a door including a panel constructed in accordance with this invention;

`Figure2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the other sideof the panel showing the sash regulatingdevice associated therewith; 'f j Figure 3 isa vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantiallyron the'plane indicated by linee-A1 in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-t-5 in Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the Figure 2. t VReferring now particularly to the dr`aw` ings wherein likereference characters indicatelike parts, it will be noted that the invention is illustrated as associatedwith a door including'a frame 10 having recesses or grooves 11 within which theglass closure 12 is adapted to'slide. Asis customary, the door will include an outer panel 13 and,'in the present disclosure,v an inner panel 14 constructed in accordance with this invention. The type of window regulator herein illustrated is shown and described in detail in United States Letters Patent-1,537,004 granted May 5, 1925,y to G. A. Carlson. t How ever,v as -this `description proceeds it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that the invention is not limited in its uses plane indicated by plane indicated by line 6-6 to the particulartype of sash regulating de- CII CII

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said patent includes an operating mechanism indicated generally by the reference character 15 and a chain or sash engaging element 16 which carries the roller 17 at one end thereof adapted to engage the lower edge ot the glass closure 12 o f raising and lowering the same. The operating mechanSm 15 which operates the chain 16 is controlled by means of a handle 18.

It has been customary heretetore to mount the operating mechanism 15' within al housing upon which certain rotatable parts thereo't' are supported. The present invention,

however, contemplates forming the panel 14 with a recess or depression 19 pressed outwardly from the general plane of the panel.` In one portion of this recess the operating mechanism 15 is arranged and this portion of the recess has associated therewith a cover plate or member 20 which may be conveniently secured to the panel at spaced points by means of lugs or ears 21. Thus the adjacent walls of the recess 19 and the cover member 20 constitute a housing for enclosing and supporting the operating mechanism 15. rI`he sidesl of the recess 19 are arranged preferably in spaced parallel relation and associated therewith are guide strips or members 22 which may be welded or otherwise secured to the bottom of the depression 19.- These guide members cooperate with the adjacent walls of the depression 'to form guide-ways lfor the chain ,or sash engaging member 16.

vFrom the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the thickness of the dooror wall may be materially reducedy and that furthermore the sash regulating device may be permanently associated with the panel when the atter is manufactured and sold andinstalled as a unit.

Vhile an embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein somewhat in detail it will be readily apparent that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and to this end reservation is made to make such changes as may come within the purview of the accompanying claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a sash regulating device including lan operating mechanism, of a panel for doors, walls andthe like adapt-l ed to support the operating mechanism and arplafte member secured to said panel and constituting with the' adjacent portion thereof a `housing to enclose said operatingr mecha- 11i-sm.

2. The combination with a sash regulating device including an operating mechanism and a sash engaging element, of a panel for doors, walls and thelike, said panel having a depression therein, a plate member secured to said panel and extending over and cooperating with said depression to form a housing to support and enclose said operating mechanism and guide members secured to said panel and cooperating with said depression to form guideways for said sash engaging element.

3. The combination with a window litter mechanism, of a panel for doors, walls and thelile, said panel' having a recess to receive said mechanism and a cover closing said recess, said cover and panel forming a housing therefor.

4. The' combination with a sash regulating device including operating mechanism, ot a panel having a recess formed therein adapted toreceivesaid mechanism and to constitute a part of a housing therefor and a cover member secured to said panel over said recess and constituting a complementary housing part.

5. The combination with a sash regulating device including operating mechanism and a travelling member, ot a ypanel formed with a recess therein, a cover plate secured to said panel and cooperating with a part of said recess to form a housing for said mechanisms and guide members secured to said panel and cooperating with the remainder of said recess to form a guideway for said travelling member.

6. The combination of a frame having an opening and a chamber adjacent said' opening, a metallic panel forming one wall of said chamber and having a depression therein,'a movable closure for the opening, an actuating mechanism for said closure located in said depression, and a plate member secured to said panel and cooperating with said depression informing a housing to inclose said actuating mechanism.

7. The combinationl of a Jframe having an opening and a chamber adjacent said opening, a metallic panel forming one wall of said chamber and having a depression therein, a movable closure for the opening, a closure regulating device including operating mechanism and a travelling member, said operating mechanism and travelling member being located in said depression, a cover plate secured to said panel and cooperating with a portion of said depression to form a housing for said mechanism,and guide members also secured to said panel and extending over said travelling member and cooperating with said depression to form a guideway for said travelling member. j

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

WILLIAM S. PRITCHARD. 

